1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a culture apparatus provided with a heat pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
A culture apparatus is used to grow a culture such as cells or microorganisms in a culture vessel. Such a culture apparatus is provided with a heater for heating the inside of the culture vessel having a humidifying pan placed therein. For example, the culture apparatus is designed such that the heater is controlled to maintain the temperature inside the culture vessel at a prescribed temperature (for example, 37° C.) and to maintain the humidity inside the culture vessel at a prescribed humidity (for example, 95% RH) suitable for the prescribed temperature.
For example, a culture apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a bottom heater for heating water in a humidifying pan, a heater for heating the inside of a culture vessel other than the humidifying pan, and a heater attached to a heat insulating door openably attached to a heat insulating box main body. These three heaters are controlled independently to maintain the temperature of water in the humidifying pan lower than the temperature inside the culture vessel so that supersaturated water in the culture vessel returns to the humidifying pan to thereby suppress dew condensation. This culture apparatus includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the culture vessel and a temperature sensor for detecting outside air temperature. The above three heaters are controlled independently according to the results of detection by the two temperature sensors.